FORREST J. ACKERMAN….For science fiction fans, there’s a nice little story in today’s LA Times about Forrest J. Ackerman, the original fan’s fan and recipient of one of the first Hugo awards ever given:
Unlike a lot of collectors, who hoard their troves, Ackerman has always shared his private collection with the public, gratis, every Saturday. An estimated 50,000 visitors traipsed through his hillside home — a 5,800-square-foot, 18-room home on Glendower Avenue in Los Feliz. The “Ackermansion,” as it was called, became a mecca for local science fiction fans and a pilgrimage spot for visitors from around the globe.
The old Ackermansion was a few doors down the street from the house where my father grew up, but Ackerman has since had to sell it and now lives in a small bungalow. He continues to allow visitors to roam freely through his collection free of charge.
